Another December, another mad scramble to get
everything done. At least we can sit down at
the end of the day and enjoy a refreshing
beverage to relax with.

This issue is stuffed full of articles, some
great new recipes and other news from around
the industry.

Happy Holidays!

Before I forget, get your fill of Christmas
and Holiday recipes here...!

Please be smart, don't drink and drive!
Enjoy the following recipes in moderation and
take a
cab if you need one.

Cheers!

Dan Hutchinson

Mount Gay Rum Holiday Drinks

HOLIDAY EGGNOG

Makes 16 cups; serves 18-20.

8 large eggs

4 egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

5 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cup Mount Gay ECLIPSE Rum

1 cup 80º bourbon

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups whipping cream

2 tablespoons superfine sugar

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, yolks and
granulated sugar until smooth.
Pour into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Stir in milk, gradually,
blending well with each addition. Heat slowly
over very low heat, stirring
steadily, until the mixture reaches
160º-170ºF on an instant read
thermometer.
The custard should be thick enough to coat
the back of a spoon: If you draw
your finger across the back of the spoon, the
line will remain distinct and
the custard sauce is done.

Pour the custard through a fine-meshed
sieve into large bowl. Stir in
vanilla the Mount Gay ECLIPSE rum, bourbon
and nutmeg. Let mixture cool,
then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate
until cold, at least three
hours and or up to one day.

Just before serving, whip cream to very
soft peaks, beating in,
superfine sugar as you go. Gently fold into
custard mixture until
incorporated. Serve from a chilled punch bowl
or ladle into individual
martini glasses, garnishing with grated
nutmeg if desired.

Tony¹s Hot Buttered Rum Batter

1 lb light brown sugar

1/2 lb unsalted butter (softened)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl beat together softened
butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract
and spices until well combined. Refrigerate
in an airtight reusable
container for up to a month, or place in your
freezer until ready to use.

To make Hot Buttered Rum ­ In a pre-heated
coffee mug combine 2 heaping
tablespoons batter with 1 1/2 oz. Mount Gay
Rum. Top with boiling water and
stir well to mix. Serve with a spoon.

Hint: It is best to make the batter in
advance so the spices have an
opportunity to mingle.
Be sure to remove batter from refrigerator at
least 6 hours prior to serving
to allow it to soften.

The Raven's Caw

Hello good Ravenites, and welcome to the
second anniversary of The Raven's Caw. Can
you believe it? I can't, but then again, if
you'd told me two and a half years ago that
I'd be writing for Bar None, I'd probably
have laughed. That being said, onward to the
greater things in life.

The first thing I want to bring to your
attention is an article I caught on one of
the major wire services. The subject was
some research being done in Spain. (As with
nearly everything I bring you, while I did in
fact read this news, and it did purport to be
true, take the advice at your own risk.) The
scientists conducting the study claimed to
have evidence that beer, of all things, is
better than water at rehydrating you after a
good workout. Of course, finding an MD that
will echo this sentiment is probably more
trouble than it's worth.

The science behind this, and the reason it
is likely true, at least on a very micro
scale, does warrant discussion. The tests
were run as follows: each participant was
made to run for a certain amount of time,
after which some measure of hydration was
taken (the exact measure escapes me, but it
seemed sufficient.) Group A was given a
glass of beer, and then was allowed to drink
as much water as they'd like. Group B
skipped the beer and just drank the water.
Lo and behold, those that drank the beer
hydrated quicker than those without. Of
course, there is no mention as to how long
they stayed hydrated, which would suggest
that, as we all expect, the diuretic nature
of the beer took its toll in due time.

An interesting story, for sure, but not one
I'll test any time soon.

In more of a festive bent, I bring to you a
great debate, albeit one of relatively recent
magnitude. I will reveal to you one of the
more enduring secrets of holiday boozing,
though I promise it will probably leave you
more confused than ever. I, Raven, am here
to throw back the veil of Eggnog!

Yeah o.k., so it's not that exciting. Two
stories exist as to where this traditional
holiday drink got the second part of its
name. The oldest comes from an early English
dialect in which small wooden cups were
called 'noggs'. Those among us that believe
in this origin story say that 'eggnog' is
simply 'egg in a nogg', which has a bit of
believability to it. This is also where we
get the expression 'noggin', as the sound of
the little wooden mugs clanking together
resembled the sound of skulls knocking
together after drinking the beverages in the
mugs. "What dids't thou do yester night,
Daniel?" "Verily, I knocked noggins with me
mates...hand me th' ye olde aspirin, prithee!"

The second origin of the nomenclature is
decidedly American in origin. Though the
European version of the drink was made with
the gamut of booze, the early American drink
was made almost exclusively with rum (known
colloquially as grog), as it was cheap and
easy to acquire. The drink then was 'egg and
grog', or after too much booze and a bit of
slurring, eggnog. Believe what you want, its
doubtful that anyone will come knocking at
your door for it. I have heard, however,
that George Washington had a killer recipe.
That would be one to get your hands on.

It's Gatorade, I swear!

Because I know you are all Ravenous (come on,
you laughed) for a new drink review, I'm
going to share one that recently fell in my
lap. Not literally, thankfully. The name of
this drink requires some one to ask you what
you're drinking. (Think about it, you'll get
there)

Ingredients:

Gatorade

Any combination of clear or mostly clear
booze.

I was playing poker the other night when a
buddy of mine came to the table, after
holding up the game ten minutes at the bar,
with a drink I didn't recognize. I said "Hey
Bob, what are you drinking?" To which he
replied, "It's Gatorade, I swear!" And the
rest was history.

About The Raven

J.T. "Raven" Centonze has been a long time
student
of the art of alcohol. Initially interested
in keeping
conversation at parties, his love for alcohol
grew to
an obsession in college. In between his real
job of
running a college bookstore or two, he is the
part
owner/operator of his own winery. He
bartends at
private parties which allows him the
innovation of
many new, unique drinks.

There are a few give-ins when it comes to the
holiday season. You're going to gain 5+
pounds from eating too much. You'll open
gifts from older family members that are
designed for someone 5 years younger than
you. You will sit in 5 hours of traffic while
listening to the same 5 holiday songs on the
radio. You'll wear 5 different shades of
lipstick on your cheek from 5 random
co-workers at the annual holiday party. While
the season can seem more of a burden than a
blessing, more miserable than merry, here are
5 drinks that will get you through the woes
of winter and add some "spirit" to your season.

1. Eighteen and Over Eggnog - the
start from scratch recipe is quite the
involved process. It includes separating the
egg yolk from the egg white, mixing with
sugar, milk, nutmeg and vanilla, and then
letting the drink sit in the refrigerator for
a few hours before you add the brandy, rum,
or whisky. While there may be some who value
the traditional method and want to spend your
soon-to-be-returned present opening time
waiting for a drink to chill, another option
is a little simpler and a whole lot faster.
Step 1: buy a carton of eggnog, Step 2: add
brandy, rum, and/or whisky (I don't recommend
the "and" here, but maybe your family is
worse than mine), Step 3: Drink and serve to
those who are old enough and look just as
bored as you are.

2. Peppermint Hot Chocolate - a
perfect treat for a cold evening, the
peppermint hot chocolate sounds like
something your grandmother would have made
for you after sledding, but after three of
four of these you may just be slurring.
Another easy to make beverage, this recipe is
basic. Instant hot chocolate + 1 shot of
peppermint schnapps + 1 shot of chocolate
liqueur. Add a candy cane and whipped cream
and you have yourself dessert and a buzz.

3. Dreidel Daiquiri - here is a
cocktail to make the eight nights of Hanukah
that much brighter. Not your traditional
Kiddush, this blend of rum, Goldschalger and
chocolate powder is sure to make your head
spin. Mix it up over the weeklong festivities
and add various goodies to the bottom - a
dreidel, some gelt, perhaps a gefilte fish?

4. Snowball - for those who don't mind
adding another few lbs. the snowball is a
tasty holiday drink. In a blender add one
scoop of vanilla ice cream, one shot of
Baileys, and one shot of vodka. Pour into a
rounded glass and add a layer of powdered
sugar on top. Your gym membership starts in
January.

5. Mulled Wine - the golden standard
when it comes to holiday beverages this is
simplicity, tradition and intoxication all
mulled into one. Heat up some red wine, throw
in some spices (cloves, sugar, almonds,
whatever hasn't been put into a pie yet), and
stir with a cinnamon stick.

Laura Davies: alcohol drinking, word
smithing, open bar emptying gal has been
drinking legally for a year and nine months,
but has been sneaking tastes since she was
thirteen (sorry mom). A former cocktail
waitress/bartender/winery employee/college
student Laura knows a thing or two about
booze and loves to share that information
with anyone who will listen.

When she's not bar hopping around New York
City or ordering another bloody mary at
brunch, Laura spends her time writing for
various entertainment publications and
begging friends to travel with her.

This year, you'll have the perfect gift for a
trend-setting guy who
likes to party like a rock star with some
added bling and style. While
MTV Cribs features the Cristal and Dom in the
fridge's of all the stars,
now you can get a behind the scenes look in
to the hottest new spirit
enjoyed by 50 Cent, Diddy, Paris, Britney
during this year's VMAs at 50
Cent's album release party in Vegas. Try the
brand new 100-proof vodka
launched by Absolut --- ABSOLUT(r) 100.

ABSOLUT(r) 100 is a bold, mixable, and
noticeably smooth vodka stands
out and stands up in a cocktail. Its unique
black bottle, glossy finish
and bling-bling silver letters show off its
confidence and style, making
it a perfect choice for that stylish,
hard-to-please guy in your life.

Prepare the "ABSOLUT-ly" perfect survival
package for a guys' night out
by pairing the ABSOLUT 100 with like-minded
gifts like Clinique For Men
products, a pair of black cufflinks and a
silver money clip.

He'll stand out this holiday season with his
buddies (or even a lady
love interest) when he is mixing up 50 Cen't
signature drink, made with
Absolut 100 and his Formula Fifty Vitamin Water.

The FORMULA 150

1 part ABSOLUT(r) 100

2 parts Formula Fifty

Splash of Club Soda

Twist of Lime

Build ingredients over fresh ice into a tall
glass, and garnish with a
lime wedge.

Castle Brands is pleased to present its 2007
holiday gift packs. This holiday season, we
offers a gift pack for every taste and style.

Vodka

Boru Vodka was inspired by Brian
Boru, legendary high king of Ireland. Boru
Vodka upholds unsurpassed standards of
quality and craftsmanship that have no rival.
This
year's gift pack also has no rival. Boru's
new bold, crystal clear packaging was the
inspiration for its holiday pack. The clear
acrylic martini pitcher and stir rod included
in the holiday pack is a classy and stylish
accessory for enjoying martinis with friends.
The sleek transparent box with silver
background is not just for holidays. It's
the perfect gift for any occasion.

Rum

Curl up and get cozy this holiday
season with Gosling's Black Seal Rum's
Perfect Hot Toddy gift set. A bottle of
Gosling's Black Seal Rum, Gosling Gourmet's
Hot Buttered Rum toddy mix and a little hot
water are all you need to chase away the
chill and get in the "spirit". Each gift set
contains a 750ml Gosling's Black Seal Rum and
one 12 oz. jar of Gosling Gourmet's Hot
Buttered Rum Toddy mix.

Liqueurs

Nobody does style like the
Italians and limoncello is the most Italian
of drinks. Of course, no one does limoncello
like the Pallini family and that's why this
holiday season you should opt for the smooth
and exceptional flavour of Pallini
Limoncello. The vibrant green gift box is
decorated with the famous Amalfitano lemons
and includes two elegant hand-blown
"classico" glasses, courtesy of Virgilio and
Micaela Pallini. Limoncello is traditionally
best enjoyed when served chilled straight
from freezer. The two stylish stemmed
glasses are the perfect complement to the
equally stylish spirit. It's the most
elegant gift you can give this season.

This holiday season, Celtic
Crossing Liqueur invites you to celebrate
traditions both old and new. Long ago, it
was customary to hang apples from evergreen
trees on the winter solstice as a reminder
that the harvest will come again. This small
annual ritual may have developed the
widespread Christmas tradition of hanging
ornaments. Celtic Crossing's festive gift
pack reminds you to keep this tradition alive
with a collectible Nollaig ornament inspired
by the traditions of Ireland. Each one of
the four different ornaments included in a
case has a shamrock design and is trimmed
with gold. Designed to appear gift wrapped,
the gift box is a warm, burgundy color and is
imprinted with a bow and gift card. The
ornament inside the box is individually
wrapped in its own lovely gift box which is
also imprinted with a box and gift tag, ready
to be given as its own gift. Of course, the
best gift of all is the bottle of the rich,
honey-flavored Celtic Crossing Liqueur that
is included in the gift pack. With one sip
of its velvety smooth taste, you're sure to
have a new traditional holiday drink!

Irish Whiskeys

The Knappogue Castle Whiskey Gift
Pack reflects the heritage of this
sophisticated brand. The spirit's legacy
finds its roots with Mark Edwin Andrews, the
brand's founder, whose 1951 distillation was
named to honor his castle in Ireland. The
handsome black box with gold trim features
sketches of Knappogue's intricate
distillation process. Whiskey connoisseurs
know that adding a splash of water to whiskey
will open up its nose and flavor. The
ceramic water pitcher included in the gift
pack was custom designed for Knappogue Castle
Whiskey. Emblazoned with the Knappogue Castle
Whiskey logo, it also bears a sketch of the
copper pot still that is the heart of the
distillation process. The sketch was
commissioned over 40 years ago by Mark Edwin
Andrews and was drawn by renowned Irish
artist Raymond Piper. This collectible water
pitcher is the second in a series which
documents the Irish whiskey-making process.

The Clontarf Irish Whiskey Gift
Pack tells the story of the Clontarf heritage
and its "Gift of the Elements". The
inspirational marriage of Old World
ingredients and New World techniques gives
Clontarf a style and class all its own. The
Clontarf Gift Pack contains two rocks glasses
bearing a frosted Clontarf logo on the front.
The classy set is the perfect gift for any
whiskey drinker.

For the past 17 years, Robert Plotkin, has been
working to provide beverage operators with
the right
career tools they need to attain success. He has
created the best management systems, tools,
software and books available in the hospitality
industry. His nationally acclaimed products
are in the
offices and behind the bars of the most
successful
hotels, nightclubs, restaurants and hot spots
worldwide.

You don't need a college degree to know that
the best cocktails are crafted using the
freshest ingredients. The resulting drinks
are more flavorful, vital and exuberant on
the palate. Today, master mixologists are not
only using freshly squeezed juice in their
cocktails, they are also making their own
bitters, syrups and drink mixes.

While using freshest possible ingredients
seems to be the path to cocktail glory, it
does pose operational challenges. Fruit needs
to be procured and juiced on a near daily
basis. Because the juices are not
pasteurized, or laced with preservatives,
continually ensuring their freshness is an
ongoing process. The amount of prep work
involved and the labor costs incurred makes
the concept of "fresh" too steep for many
operators.

"Fresh juices and ingredients are definitely
the basis of better beverages, but the use of
fresh juice is no guarantee of better drinks.
That's largely a matter of balance," says
noted beverage consultant David Commer. "It's
common today to make drinks with
super-premium spirits that can easily cost
$1.00 per ounce. It makes no sense to me to
compromise the quality of a signature
cocktail by saving 3¢ an ounce on sweet 'n'
sour. There are ways to overcome the labor
objection including preparing fresh juices
ahead of time for that shift, or using high
quality prepared, or partially prepared
products."

Barry Carter, vice president of beverage
operations for Dave and Busters, has spent
the majority of his career fine-tuning the
inner workings of bars. "Do fresh juices and
scratch ingredients enhance the flavor and
character of cocktails? Sure they do. For
upscale, one-off, or multi-unit independents,
it's highly advantageous to employ a 'Bar
Chef,' one whose passion is working with
fresh-squeezed juices, purees, infusions,
reductions, bar syrups and whatever else his
creative juices can concoct. There are guests
who will gladly pay a premium for these
cocktails."

Carter continues on to say, however, that
they're likely not in the mainstream. What
about operators whose clientele aren't so
loose with a buck? Or those concerned about
the higher labor and product costs and speed
of service issues that are thought to beset
the 'fresh' strategy? Is there a middle
ground where they too can take advantage of
this burgeoning mega-trend? Carter and others
insist there is.

Retooling Your Beverage Strategy

Unless one is preparing cocktails for guests
at home, the question of whether to convert a
beverage program over to fresh ingredients is
a business decision. Proponents of using
prepared drink mixes point to their
consistency, convenience, labor-savings and
shelf stability. Both sides of the discussion
readily admit that there are a number of
superior drink mixes on the market that offer
operators viable options to scratch.

Dave & Busters' Barry Carter has worked in
both environments. "Prepared mixes
occasionally offer an alternative, but in my
mind they are at the other end of the
spectrum from
absolutely-fresh-ingredients-all-the-time. As
an example, several purveyors offer fruit
purees that can be added to recipes and
deliver a much more fruit-forward component
and create more body in drinks such as
Margaritas, Daiquiris and Mojitos. These
products are relatively inexpensive,
shelf-stable until opened and then good for
at least 30-days if kept refrigerated. I
suggest exploring all of your alternatives."

Firmly in the fresh camp is Jacques
Bezuidenhaut, an award winning mixologist and
beverage manager at San Francisco's Harry
Denton's Starlight Room. "Detractors of the
strategy are correct that fresh ingredients
are more expensive and labor intensive, but
something done exceptionally well normally
is. Bumping the price of a drink a few
quarters will adequately offset the increased
cost. The overriding consideration should be
drink quality. People are willing to pay a
little more to drink better quality cocktails."

Philip Raimondo, mixology expert at Patrick
Henry Creative Promotions, questions whether
scratch recipes are, in fact, more expensive
than prepared. "Strawberry puree provides a
good cost comparative example. A premium
strawberry puree/mix costs approximately 12¢
per oz. You can buy fresh (or IQF)
strawberries and prepare a puree about 6¢ per
oz. The cost savings can be applied to the
extra labor and you'll be making higher
quality drinks."

The decision to retool your beverage program
depends entirely on looking at the most
frequently requested cocktails at your bar
and scrutinizing whether there's room to
enhance their taste, quality and
presentation. If they could stand a little
improvement-and let's face it, whose
couldn't-then all that's left to decide is
what changes need to be made and how can they
best be implemented.

No one has more experience dealing in the
realm of fresh than master mixologist Dale
DeGroff. Quite possibly the world's most
respected drinks expert and author of
numerous seminal works on the subject,
DeGroff has almost single-handedly brought
the matter to international attention.

That having been said, DeGroff believes that
with respect to some products, such as orange
and grapefruit juice, some commercial
alternatives may well be the best. "Most bars
around the country have access to purveyors
who sell fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit
juice by the gallon or half gallon. They are
very acceptable products. But they are
unpastuerized and without proper handling
will spoil rapidly. They must be delivered
cold and kept refrigerated until used."

When it comes to lime and lemon juice,
however, DeGroff sees no viable alternative
to freshly squeezing them in-house. They are
the foundation of most popular contemporary
cocktails and in DeGroff's estimation
prepared lime and lemon juice fall short of
the mark.

"The problem is two fold. First, commercial
juicers often grind into the white pithy
portion of the fruit and produce an
unacceptably high percentage of the bitter
pith. When the juice is thawed-these products
are usually frozen after squeezing to extend
their shelf life-the pith will produce a
white milky substance on the bottom of the
bottle. When mixed into solution it will
render the juice too bitter for use in
cocktails. Second, lemon and lime juice don't
have the same sugar content as orange and
grapefruit juice. Thus, they have shorter
shelf lives."

Operationalizing a Fresh Strategy

Developing the techniques and standardized
procedures for incorporating fresh
ingredients into your beverage operation may
seem daunting and riddled with pitfalls. The
following expert advice though is being
offered to make the process less maddening
and the learning curve less steep.

Juicing and Straining - There are several
brands of juicers that are efficient and
powerful enough to handle the rigors of
commercial use. If you are switching over to
using fresh juices, make room on your back
bar for the juicer and a large bowl of
assorted fruit. This will easily allow
bartenders to freshly squeeze juice per drink
order if so desired. DeGroff advises only
squeezing fruit that is at room temperature.
Cold fruit will yield roughly 1/3 less juice,
which on an annual basis adds up to a lot of
wasted fruit. According to DeGroff, "There
will be times when excessively tart, acidic
juice will require the addition of a little
sugar (simple syrup) to bring it around to
where it needs to be to make cocktails taste
right."

While pulp in orange or grapefruit
juice is a cache of quality, lime and lemon
juice needs to be strained before use.
Pouring freshly squeezed juice through a
chinois or kitchen strainer will do the trick.

Sour Mixes - The underlying foundation of
many popular cocktails, such as the
Margarita, Side Car, Daiquiri, Sour and
Collins, rely on the use of sour mix. Trying
to get by with just one sour mix, though,
won't do. The Margarita and Daiquiri, for
example, require lime-based sour mix, while
Side Cars and Lemon Drops are made with
lemon-based sour mix. The quality of the sour
mix used greatly affects the finished
cocktail. Much of the vibrancy of today's
finest cocktails can be attributed to the
outstanding character of the bar's sour mix.
To provide added pizzazz to your sour mix,
consider a splash of orange or grapefruit juice.

Purchasing - Be prepared to change your
purchasing habits. Produce may need to be
purchased and delivered on a more regular
basis. For juicing DeGroff advises buying
thin-skinned limes and lemons in 169 to 200
count boxes. Both yield the most juice for
the buck. Fruit in lower box counts is better
suited for use as garnishes. They are larger
and have thicker peels. "While limes can vary
dramatically by the season, the average yield
is about three quarters of an ounce per
lime," adds DeGroff.

Quality Assurance - Fresh juices must be
refrigerated and therefore can't be kept at
the bartender's well. The consensus is that a
large part of the operational success of the
program is dependent on the ability to
predict usage levels. While only a guideline,
most fresh juice won't keep for more than 24
hours before needing to be discarded.

Muddling - The Mojito and Old Fashion are
micro-seminars in working with fresh
ingredients. Into the glass go ingredients
such as cut limes, oranges or fresh mint
sprigs. It's the energetic muddling of the
produce that releases their succulence and
essential oils. Sugar is added to balance out
the acidic pith. The cocktail is then ready
to receive the spirits and various modifiers
that make it a singular creation. Today,
mixologists are preparing increasingly more
cocktails with muddled cucumbers and fruit of
every type and description.

Syrups and Bitters -Also known as gomme
syrup, simple syrup is a workhorse behind the
bar and crucial to the program. It is made
with equal parts of boiling water and sugar.
Its advantage when making cocktails is that
unlike granulated sugar, simple syrup will
immediately go into solution. Pros like Scott
Beattie, noted mixologist at Cyrus Restaurant
in Healdsburg, CA are also infusing their
simple syrups and honeys with such flavorings
as vanilla, or lemongrass. Before proceeding
in earnest making your bitters, consider
working first with the four franchise players
in the bitters world, namely Angostura,
Regans' Orange Bitters #6, Peychaud's and Fee
Brother Mint Bitters.

Essential Oils - Beattie is also an
advocate of using essential oils when
crafting drinks. "They are 100% natural
products made by steam-distilling organic
material and separating out the oils in the
material from the water (hydrosol). These
oils can't be put directly into a drink as
they are far too concentrated. You can,
however, add a few drops to simple syrup or
puree and completely alter it. This can
potentially make your drinks very aromatic,
which is normally rather difficult
considering that cold things don't release
strong aromas."

Mint - Mint has reentered the mainstream
with the mushrooming popularity of such
cocktails as the Mojito, Caipirinha and
Caipiroshka. All rely heavily on delightful
notes of fresh mint. Scrutinize the mint
sprigs carefully to ensure freshness. The
leaves should be supple and green. The final
test is to crush a few leaves in your palm
and take a whiff. The wafting aroma should be
fresh and engaging.

Changes in Drink Recipes - Because fresh
juices are vibrant and robust they will alter
your bar's recipes. Anticipate using less of
the fresh juice, or scratch sour mix than you
did with prepared mixes. "Fresh juice is
concentrated and cocktails made with it
rarely use more than a three-quarter ounce
portion, so usage will be differ
dramatically," says DeGroff. "You get a lot
of bang for the buck!"

Bottled Mixes Range From Good to Outrageous

A great drink mix is a thing of beauty even
if it's packaged in a bottle. Pour them over
ice, add a spirit or two, splash in a few
modifiers and even the most beverage
challenged amongst us can thrill the crowds.

For decades prepared drink mixes have been
the cornerstone of the bar business. Most are
made using natural flavors and are stabilized
and pasteurized. It's their ease of use,
consistency and utterly reasonable cost per
ounce that makes bottled mixes so alluring.
Ah, but do they measure up to contemporary
standards?

Depending on how high you set your sights the
answer is yes. Locking in on the exact brands
that best suit your bar though is half the
battle. As is the case with all products at
the bar, the process ultimately renders down
to making the pragmatic decision of quality
versus cost.

Evaluating drink mixes is an art form with a
shallow learning curve. Start by sampling
light bodied, light flavored mixers first -
sweet 'n' sour, Margarita and Mojito - before
working with heavier products such as Piña
Colada, Bloody Mary and Strawberry Daiquiri.

Taste the mixes side by side, sampling a
version of each at room temperature and then
another flight with the mixes over ice. Make
note of the mix's color and opacity and
compare that with your notion of what a
scratch version might look like. Does the mix
have an engaging bouquet?

The last qualifier is, of course, taste.
Swirl it around your mouth, assessing flavor,
mouth feel and eventually its finish. The
winners will taste marvelous alone in a
glass. If they can stand-up to that degree of
scrutiny, they're bona fide keepers.

Proven Strategies for the On-Premise
Operator

This may be the best resource guide ever
written for controlling, managing and
operating a beverage operation profitably.

Covering virtually every aspect of a
beverage operation, Robert Plotkin has left
no stone unturned. From analyzing bartender
and server productivity to explaining how to
use pour cost formulas to increase profits,
it is a guide that anyone can use to increase
their profits, reduce their costs and
understand how to do it in a step-by-step
format.

Go ahead and indulge. Taste Sapling maple
liqueur and enjoy a drink that is rich and
full-bodied to appeal to all palates. The
liqueur pours forth from a slim and lean
bottle and inside you will find a liqueur
that is slightly sweetened with the distinct
taste of maple sugar.

With just one taste, you will want more and
Sapling Liqueur comes just in time for
serving your guests during this holiday
season. For those who may not have heard
about Sapling Maple Liqueur before it is one
of the newest alcoholic beverages that is
brewed and bottled in the Saxtons River
valley in Vermont.

Vermont resident Christian Stromberg is the
man behind Sapling Maple liqueur but the
technique of adding flavors to liqueurs to
create a unique taste is something that he
has inherited from his ancestors. "My family
brought the tradition of making liqueurs with
them when they fled Czarist controlled
Lithuania in 1906," Christian said. He
added that the desire of flavoring spirits
was really born out of the need to improve
the taste of alcohol. "Raw alcohol is not
pleasant, and old distillation methods would
not have produced particularly high quality
spirits."

Christian's inspiration for making maple
liqueur came from the Krupnikas, a
traditional liqueur from Lithuania which is
flavored with honey. Based on the liqueur's
popularity with friends and family here in
the US, Christian decided to experiment with
maple liqueur, striking a balance with the
maple taste, its sweetness and strength.

Christian would not say for exact what goes
in to brewing this liqueur, rather he chooses
to keep both the recipe and process a secret.
What he would say though is that the process
of making Sapling Liqueur has a lot to do
with aging. Currently there are not too many
maple based liqueurs available on the market
so Sapling Maple Liqueur stands in a class
by itself. Another defining quality in
Sapling Maple Liqueur is that unlike other
liqueurs which use glycerin as a thickening
agent, Christian said that he uses a high
quality 100 percent Grade-A Vermont maple
syrup as the main ingredient.

"Sapling achieves its smooth thick feel from
the maple syrup itself. There is a strong
association of maple syrup to Vermont, and
Sapling embodies the taste like no other,"
Christian said.

Retailing at a price of $24.50, Sapling Maple
Liqueur is gaining momentum with the alcohol
buying public. According to Christian "it has
been only on sale for three weeks now and
already sales are ramping up". He added that
a few stores have already sold out their
inventory and are waiting to restock.

"There are a lot of maple aficionados here in
Vermont, so I knew I had to get the taste
just right."

Christian said that the liqueur is being sold
with an accompanying drink booklet that gives
the buyer some creative Sapling Maple Liqueur
recipe ideas. He also revealed that he is
working on producing more liqueurs but would
remain tight-lipped on what their ingredients
are. "If someone has an idea I'm opening to
suggestions".

3 oz Pomegranate Juice (Some are sweeter than
others so adjust according to taste)

3 Pomegranate seeds for garnish

In a shaker with ice, add tequila and
pomegranate juice. Shake for 10 seconds.
Pour into a chilled martini glass. Add
pomegranate seeds for garnish and serve.

A cocktail stuffed with cheer, the Herradura
Stocking will help you and your
friends/family unwind while introducing you
to the hottest trend in tequila - sipping
with style.

For those with good taste and an appreciation
of the finer things, this high-end spirit
will make the perfect holiday gift.
Herradura is revered for its authentic
distilling process, rich heritage and smooth
taste. Most importantly, it will help your
friends unwind while introducing them to the
hottest trend in tequila - sipping with style.